Heritage

Horowpathana Walahawiddawewa Kuda Dambulu Rajamaha Viharaya (හොරොව්පතාන වලහවිද්දවැව කුඩා දඹුලු රජමහා විහාරය)

56 years ago2 years ago02 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

Horowpathana Walahawiddawewa Kuda Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya
photograph by : Janaka Wettasinghe

If you are ever travelling to the Kiralagala Archaeological Reserve, on the Medawachchiya – Horowpathana road, there are a few other sites along this route which belong to the same early Anuradhapura era. Some of these are

Handagalakanda Ancient Cave Temple
Walahawiddawewa Kuda Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya
Wane Pansala – Paluketuwewa (Palukatiwewa) Temple – වානේ පංසල – පළුකෙටුවැව (පළුකැටුවැව) පංසල – Temple lies 1.5 km north -west of Kuda Dambulu Viharaya
Rasnakawewa Sri Rathnagiri Rajamaha viharaya (GPS – 8.566636, 80.736992)
Alapathwewa Siyambalaewa Archaeological site : ඇලපත්වැව සියඹලෑව පුරාවිද්‍යා ස්ථානය
Kulumeemaakada Archaeological Site – කුළුමීමාකඩ පුරාවිද්‍යා ස්ථානය

Kirigallewa Walahawiddhawewa Rangiri Kuda Dambulu Rajamaha Viharaya lies between the villages of Kirigallewa and Walahawiddhawewa in Horowpathana. The temple complex sits on top of a small rocky hill hidden from the current road and not a known temple outside its villages.

This complex is said to go back to the reign of King Devanmpiyathissa (250-210 BC) of Anuradhapura kingdom. According to folklore, this temple has been built by a minister called Mahanaga and 21 Arhaths have been living in the caves of this temple complex. According to charters of Royal Grants (Sannas) with the chief disciple of the temple, this temple has been called Kirigallewa Viharaya (කිරිගල්ලෑව විහාරය) in the past.

The hill consists of many caves with drip ledges possibly going to the pre-Christian era which are still unexplored. Not even a footpath can be found in these caves.

The main image house lies on a large drip ledge cave which dates back to the early Anuradhapura period. The drip ledge is about 40-50 meters long but due to the way the image house is built it doesn’t utilize the full capacity of the cave. This image house seems to have been last renovated during the Kandyan era with the murals inside drawn in Kandyan tradition.

To reach the temple, travel 5.2 km from Rathmalgahawewa junction towards Horowpathana or 13km from Horowpathana. There is an unmarked gravel road to the left in front of a small boutique. Travel about 1.5 km on this gravel road to reach the temple.

References :

මධ්‍ය යාන්ඔය නිම්නයේ පුරාණ වාස්තුවිද්‍යාව හා නිර්මිත පරිසරය – ටිකිරිබන්ඩාර විජේපාල in Journal of Archaeology and Heritage Studies 2015

Also See

Map of Horowpathana Walahawiddawewa Kuda Dambulu Rajamaha Viharaya

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Driving Directions to Horowpathana Walahawiddawewa Kuda Dambulu Rajamaha Viharaya

Route from Horowpathana to Walahawiddawewa Kuda Dambulu Rajamaha Viharaya

Though :
distance : 15 km
Travel time :25 mins
Time to spend : 1 – 2 hours
Driving directions : see on google map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Muruthtthanai Cave with Indigenous Art (මුරුත්තානෛ ආදිවාසී චිත්‍ර සහිත ලෙණ)
Deep in the Kiran jungle, this cave features a Brahmi inscription documenting its donation to the Maha Sangha. It also houses well-preserved animal rock art from a later period, believed to have been created by the region’s indigenous Vedda community. […]
Muruthtthanai Buddhist Stupa Ruins in Kiran (මුරුත්තානෛ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Muruthtthanai Stupa in Kiran is a 5-meter-high brick monument hidden on a wooded hillock. Plundered by treasure hunters who dug a deep summit pit, the site also includes an ancient rock quarry used for shaping stone architectural elements. […]
Akkuranai Buddhist Monastic Ruins in Kiran (අක්කුරානයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Akkuraṇai Monastic Ruins in Kiran feature a central circular stupa surrounded by terraces, multi-sized pillared structures, and drip-ledged caves. Severely damaged by treasure hunters, the site retains a 2-meter carved flower altar, brick foundations with mortised stone doorframes, and shattered sacred chatra fragments. […]
Miniminiththaweli Archaeological Site 2 in Kiran (මිනිමිණිත්තවේලි පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය 2)
The Maduru Oya Valley site in Miniminiththāweli features an Anurādhapura-period building complex with stone pillars and brick foundations. Unfortunately, illegal excavations by treasure hunters have severely damaged these structures, though they have also exposed various ancient artifacts and pottery. […]
Miniminiththaweli Archaeological Site 1 in Kiran (මිනිමිණිත්තවේලි පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-era Miniminiththāweli site 1 in Kiran features a historic building complex heavily damaged by forest gravel road construction. This development destroyed the site's archaeological context and displaced ancient artifacts, including a stone-carved flower altar bulldozed to the roadside. […]
Kurangukodipottamale Drip Ledge Cave (කුරන්ගුකොඩිපෝට්ටමලේ කටාරම් සහිත ගුහාව)
Located in Kadiraweli, this Anuradhapura-era cave features early Brahmi inscriptions and drip ledges, marking it as a significant monastic dwelling. Despite its historical value, the site faces severe threats from unauthorized excavations and commercial quarrying in the Vakarai region. […]
Mavil Anga Nikkanawewa Reserve Archaeological Ruins (මාවිල් අංග නික්කාන වැව රක්ෂිතය පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Nikkanawewa ruins in Vakarai mark an Anuradhapura-era monastic complex. Situated on a rocky outcrop, the site preserves stone pillar bases, ancient bricks, a urinal stone fragment, and terrace remains, confirming its past as a secluded Buddhist forest monastery. […]
Sri Maha Bodhi :The sacred Bo-Tree of Buddhist World (ශ්‍රී මහා බෝධිය)
After bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Mahinda Thero in 250 BC king Tissa received the Sri Maha Bodhi tree sapling and planted it at the present site in 249 BC making this tree 2272 year old (as in 2022). […]
Rediscovering Mavil Anga: An Anuradhapura-Era Image House in Vakarai (කල්ලරිප්පු මාවිල් අංග පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
Mavil Anga is an Anuradhapura-era site in Vakarai featuring a 24-pillar image house. Key finds include a Siripatula Gala and Padmasana, marking it as a significant early Buddhist monastery now hidden within the dense eastern jungle. […]
Pullavi Jungle Buddhist Monastic Ruins (3) in Kayankerni (කායංකේණි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 3)
The Pullavi Jungle Ruins (3) in Kayankerni are an early Anuradhapura-period Buddhist monastery complex. Despite treasure-hunting damage, the forested site preserves carved foundation stones, stone pillars, a mortised doorway slab, and balustrade fragments. It represents one of three interconnected yet distinct monastic centers in the area. […]
Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle (පුල්ලාවි වනයේ වණ්ණාතිමඩු පැරණි පොකුණ)
The Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond (Vannathimadu Kulam) in Vakarai is a 2.42-hectare, oval-shaped reservoir dating to the Early Anurādhapura period. Enclosed by an earthen embankment, it still holds water and served as the primary water source for three nearby forest monasteries. […]
Archaeological Site near Kayankerni School (කායංකේණි පාසල අසල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period archaeological site near Kayaṅkerni School in Vakarai features five short stone pillars from a three-row structure. Characterized by distinct chisel marks, the palm-covered site also contains scattered broken pillars, ancient roof tiles, and stone slabs. […]
Padigala (Padiettanamalei) Buddhist Monastic Ruins (පඩිගල පඩිඑත්තනමලෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Paḍigala Monastic Ruins in Vakarai feature a ruined brick stupa atop a rock plateau, reached by an ornamental 69-step stone staircase. The complex includes large building foundations, primitive moonstones, and pottery, though treasure hunter activity has severely damaged the site. […]
Omadiyamadu Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (ඕමඩියාමඩු වනයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period stupa ruins in the Ōmeḍiyāmadu Forest, Vakarai, sit atop a rock formation. Treasure hunters have damaged the small, dilapidated stupa by digging a 2.5-meter-deep pit into its dome. Excavated bricks and stone debris lie scattered nearby. […]
Sitamalai Rock Buddhist Monastic Ruins (සීතාමලායි පර්වත බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Sītāmalai Monastic Ruins in Vakarai are centered on a 90×90-meter rocky outcrop. The site features a damaged brick-and-rubble stupa visible up to its first basal ring, a brick foundation eastward, and two building sites at its southern foot. […]
Drip Ledged Cave near Omadiyamadu Reservoir (ඕමඩියාමඩු වැව අසළ කටාරම් සහිත ලෙන)
The Rock Cave near the Ōmaḍiyāmadu Reservoir is an Early Anurādhapura-period monastic site. Facing north on a rocky outcrop, the cave features a continuously carved drip-ledge around its entrance designed to deflect rainwater from the interior living space. […]